1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an area monitoring sensor, and in particular, to an improvement of an area monitoring sensor that emits detection light in different directions and senses an intruder within a monitor area based on reflection of the detection light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Area monitoring sensors have been known as a sensor which senses an intruder such as a person entered into a no entrance area and outputs a detection signal. A typical area monitoring sensor is provided with, for example, a light projecting unit that projects detection light, a scanning unit that scans the detection light, and a light receiving unit that receives the detection light reflected on the intruder, and a distance and a direction toward the intruder are sensed based on an output from the light receiving unit. Then, based on a result of the sensing, it is determined whether or not the intruder is present within a predetermined area, and the detection signal is outputted based on a result of the determination. This detection signal is used, for example, as a control signal that stops a machine tool working near the monitored area.
Typically, an area setting tool is used in order to specify an area for sensing as a monitor area to such an area monitoring sensor, or in order to edit the monitor area that has been set. The area setting tool is an application program that runs on a terminal device such as a personal computer, and can set a monitor area according to how factory equipment such as machine tools are placed.
With the method of setting the monitor area using the area setting tool, however, it is adversely required to connect the terminal device to the area monitoring sensor every time a monitor area is newly specified or a monitor area that has already been specified is modified, which results in poor operability.